Community UCC eNews
October 10, 2019
Community UCC is an inclusive and progressive Christian Church doing social justice, environmental faithfulness, interfaith collaboration and and spiritual formation to help ourselves and others grow in faith, hope and love.

Sunday Sermon  

On Sunday, Oct. 13, Pastor Ara will deliver a sermon titled " She is All I Have. "

Worship Service Each Sunday at 10:30 a.m.
NOTE: We broadcast our Sunday Worship service on Facebook Live beginning at 10:30 a.m. We want to make service accessible to members or friends who can't be with us on Sunday mornings. The camera captures the front of the Sanctuary and the first couple of rows of seats.
THIS WEEKEND: Join us for the Oktoberfest Fall Fundraiser!
Beer, brats, live music and more beer!
Saturday, Oct. 12

5-8:30 p.m. at Community United Church of Christ
Call 435-2690 for tickets or buy at the door

Fun for the entire family!
Carnival games for kids: bounce house, Corn Hole, Ladder Toss and more! Unlimited access to games!

Raffle tables filled with lots of great prizes for sale!

SPECIAL:   16 oz. glass beer stein etched with CUCC logo : $20
Dinner at 6 p.m. with dancing after to the terrific CUCC Band!

Dinner tickets:
$25 Adults; $10 Kids 12 & younger

A portion of the proceeds go to the Syrian Refugee Project
"ProFuture Faith: The Radical Species Comes Home."

Beginning Oct 13 , Living the Questions, "ProFuture Faith: The Radical Species Comes Home." We will watch a 20-minute DVD, then have a time of discussion.

Class begins at 9 a.m. in the Conference Room each Sunday morning.
Women's Book Discussion Group starting 'The Sparrow'

We will begin our next book discussion at 6 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 29 , in the Conference Room. The book is "The Sparrow" by Mary Doria Russell. We will read the Prologue and Chapters 1-4 for our first gathering. 

If you would like the office to order you a copy of the book please let me or Marilyn know ASAP. The books are $16. each.  
Saturday Morning Breakfast Group
Saturday, Nov. 2 , Conference Room
Breakfast at 8:45 a.m., talk begins at 9 a.m.

Gary Walker will discuss " Three five-star heroes of World War ll: Generals Marshall, MacArthur and Eisenhower — their backgrounds and interactions with each other." Breakfast host to be determined.
FIRM's Senior Fridays

One of the community programs that the Missions and Social Justice Team is engaging in is FIRM’s Senior Fridays. This is targeted to seniors in FIRM’s programs who are primarily Hmong, Cambodian, and a mixture of other ethnic groups.

Missions and Social Justice has selected Friday, Nov. 15 , for its service. We need volunteers to engage in activities/games with the seniors and volunteers to donate items.
Items needed are:
  • Games (Bingo, etc.)
  • Food:
  • Chicken
  • Salads
  • Dinner rolls
  • Rice
  • Cookies
  • Lemonade

Please contact Elizabeth Davis-Russell (559.862.6914) or Susan Chavez (559.269.0838) to donate your service and /or food.
Journey into Advent: "While it Was Still Dark"
Nov. 22-24
Join us for Journey into Advent, our annual deeper exploration into our faith as we enter the Advent season of our spiritual calendar.

As we witness the encroaching darkness in our social, political, and spiritual environments, we can welcome the darkest time of the calendar year (the Winter Solstice) as a time to ponder new territory, which can be discovered "While It Was Yet Dark."

This year’s featured speaker, Julia Penner-Zook , member of Community United Church of Christ and member in discernment for ordination with the UCC, will collaborate with a musician and a photographer, inviting us to encounter the darkness from an entirely different angle.

Julia, a theologian and poet, has served in ministry and social services for over 30 years. She has lived and worked in Canada, the US, and Europe. She has an M.A. in Theology and works in areas of grief and loss, and professional and personal coaching. Julia’s prophetic poetry focuses on issues of social justice and spiritual wholeness. The desert, the darkness, and the divine provide the foundation for this weekend’s focus. 

Collaborating with Julia are Jenny Regehr and Stacey Rhoades. 

Jenny is a Canadian pianist, well-known for her solo recitals, duo and chamber music performances, and Lieder collaborations. Jenny served on the faculty of the Glenn Gould School of the Royal Conservatory of Music in Toronto, where she was a senior piano instructor for 15 years. She continues to provide master classes and adjudicates competitions and festivals in Canada and overseas. 

Stacey, a licensed clinical professional counselor who has worked with active duty military members and their families in the US and overseas for the past 12 years, says she feels most at home behind her camera. In 2016 she traveled to all 50 states, photographing 36 National Parks. Her photography has gained her a significant social media following, and she has been a finalist in photography competitions.   

"While It Was Yet Dark" — a collaboration
  • 7-9 p.m. Friday, Nov. 22 in the CUCC Sanctuary: we will gather for an inspiring evening of poetry, music, and photography, introducing three biblical women, each of whom experienced the Divine within profound darkness. (Drinks and snacks follow.)
  • 8 a.m.-noon Saturday, Nov. 23 in Hayden Hall and the Sanctuary: after a light breakfast, we will offer an interactive morning to consider how various mediums (music, visual, writing) can provide tools for us to encounter the Divine in the darkness or the desert of the Advent season.
  • 10:30 a.m. Sunday, Nov. 24 in the Sanctuary: worship with Julia as she continues to lead us in our Journey into Advent. Special music by Jenny Regehr; photography by Stacey Rhoades to underscore elements of worship .

*Childcare is provided on all 3 days.

Cost is $25 per person for this event. Full and partial scholarships available upon request. Or if you are able, please fund a scholarship.

To register or for more information, call Marilyn in the Church Office at 559.435.2690 .
Sunday school teachers needed for once a month

From the Faith Education Team: Do you enjoy working with children? If so, we have the perfect position for you. If you can volunteer one Sunday a month to teach our children in Sunday School, it would free up our teachers to be able to attend the church worship service. Please contact Eileen at 559.251.3357 if you would like to volunteer. Thank you.
CURRENT WORSHIP THEME: Coercion vs. Freedom

Our general worship focus for the fall will be Coercion vs. Freedom. We will be inspired by the minor prophets and the Pastoral epistles, as we struggle with the short term efficacy of coercion and threat, and the long view guided by a love ethic.

How do we mature as persons of faith and disciples of Christ? It is for freedom Christ set us free. How may we live this as fully and faithfully as possible? It captures and hopefully addresses our challenge of being an Open and Affirming congregation of welcoming each of us as we are. How to be our best self, individually and as a Body!
In each week's eNews, we include a news article from our larger denomination, United Church of Christ , to show the faithful work being done in other places.
UCC 'a visible presence' at National Trans Visibility March in Washington, D.C.

The United Church of Christ was well represented at the National Trans Visibility March on Washington, D.C., on Saturday, Sept. 28. Members of the transgender, gender non-conforming and non-binary communities converged on the nation’s capital from several major cities in the United States to take a stand against hate and discrimination in this historic first march and rally.

“As a lead sponsor, the UCC had a strong and visible presence at the  march ,” said the Rev. Mike Schuenemeyer, UCC executive for health and wholeness advocacy, “not because the UCC has already arrived, but because of the hard work at hand both in the UCC, as well as in amplifying the work the country must do together to truly live the values of the nation’s pledge of liberty and justice for all. Continue reading at the UCC.com website.
Happy Birthday and Anniversary to all who are celebrating this month!

October Birthdays
1 — David Contreras, Jess Garcia
3  — Adrian Ramirez, Nayele Wall
5  — Joe Mack
6  — Dena Reynolds
8  — Cristi Newport, Chad Hayden
12  — Sarah LeBeau
18  — Hayden Shea
25  — Nancy Pressley, Dru Ramirez
27  — Debra Westhaver-Church
28  — Nanete Maki-Dearsan, Boone Watkins
31  — Pat Gebs, Claire & William Knapp

October Anniversaries
2  — Ruben Fernandez & Lynn Samuelian
6  — Charlene Toews & Michael Dillahunty
8  — Annie & Jack Van Patten
26  — Kelli & Alan Chaffin
Upcoming Church Events

  • Oct. 12 - Oktoberfest fall fundraiser, fun for the entire family! (See article above)
  • Sundays at 9 a.m. - Adult Education in the Conference Room
  • Tuesdays - Men's Book Study, Room 1, 6 p.m.
  • Oct. 20 - Fresno/Clovis CROP Hunger Walk, details at crophungerwalk.org/fresnoca/
  • Oct. 26 - Memorial Service for Margaret Fullerton, 11 a.m. at the Church. In lieu of flowers, gifts may be made to this church in her name.
  • Oct. 29-Women's Book Disc. Conference Room, 6 p. m.
  • Nov. 2- Rummage Sale/Boutique, 7 a.m.- 1 p.m. watch for details
  • Nov. 2 - Saturday Morning Breakfast Group, Gary Walker will speak
  • Nov 15 - FIRM's Senior Fridays, see Elizabeth Davis-Russell
  • Nov. 22-24 - Journey into Advent, with Julia Penner-Zook, theme is "While it Was Yet Dark"

Keep up to date with our Church's online calend ar !
CROP Walk
Sunday, Oct. 20
First Congregational Church (Big Red), 2131 N. Van Ness Blvd.
1:30 pm Walker Registration, 2:30 Walk begins.

CROP Walk is a community walk event in support of local and global hunger and disaster relief. We need volunteer walkers! Sign-ups will be Sundays in the Breezeway of the church.
eNews deadline is 10 a.m. Wednesdays

CUCC eNews is a weekly publication distributed every Thursday. Deadline for submitting announcements is 10 a.m. Wednesdays (and earlier is appreciated). Please send your announcements to Marilyn at office@communityucc.com .
Phone: 559.435.2690 
Email: office@communityucc.com